Korean Air just made huge changes to its look, dining and inflight amenities
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For Korean Air, it's out with the old and in with the new.
South Korea's flag carrier unveiled its first major brand redesign since 1984, alongside a new livery, new inflight dining and upgraded onboard experiences across various cabins.
The airline shared a simplified, muted take on its iconic taegeuk logo at a media event attended by TPG at Gimpo International Airport (GMP) near Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday.
The new logo trades the previous iteration's blue, red and white hues for a more minimalist, subdued design. The logo, Korean Air explained in a statement, is inspired by a traditional Korean hat dance called "Sangmo."
The simplified, modern branding was on full display when the airline unveiled its new blue-and-white livery on a Boeing 787-10. The simplified taeguek symbol dominates the plane's fin, while "KOREAN," written with "subtle brushstroke-inspired details" and "smooth curves and open connections," takes up the front section of the aircraft. A new metallic paint makes the airline's signature sky-blue coloring feel more luxurious, the airline says, while a flowing, curved line dancing on the bottom of the fuselage rounds out the exterior changes coming to Korean's fleet.
Though the livery is void of red, the airline's old brand colors will still be on display in a new way on airport check-in screens, SkyPass cards and online. They'll also be seen in innovative new ways throughout airports, in Korean Air lounges and on board flights in the near future.
New inflight dining, amenity kits and more
Korean Air also unveiled its new inflight and lounge dining experiences, crafted by Seakyeong Kim, the Korean chef behind popular Seoul restaurants Cesta and Hue135.
"We realized we needed to change," David Pacey, executive vice president of inflight service and lounges, said during a press conference highlighting the new menu. "It was time for us to do something different."
New dishes include salmon bibimbap, spicy stir-fried octopus with pork, tofu pad thai, spicy eggplant stir-fry, and rose pasta in economy class, and octopus nurungji rice, beef brisket bibimbap and royal hot pot — served on new china — in premium cabins.
And, Pacey highlighted, the airline is introducing a Korean staple on board for the very first time across all classes: kimchi.
First-class passengers can enjoy upgraded bedding and slippers by Italian brand Frette, a staple of luxury hotels, and new Air Coil mattresses from Eco World. First class and business class, or Prestige, as it's known on Korean Air, will also enjoy new amenity kits from Graff, a British luxury brand.
These new services will launch Wednesday on 10 long-haul routes, including New York, Paris and London flights. All of Korean's long-haul routes will be upgraded by June, with medium- and short-haul routes joining the fray in September.
Last year, the airline launched Prestige 2.0 business-class suites.
Asiana merger is official
The new brand identity and inflight upgrades come as Korean and Asiana Airlines, South Korea's two major airlines, continue to work through a major merger that was finalized in late 2024 following years of international regulatory speedbumps. But, with the green light now secured, the merger strengthens Korean's position as South Korea's dominant brand — which is getting the update as the company prepares to fold Asiana, currently a subsidiary, into the airline following a two-year integration process. However, Korean Air's new brand identity feels void of any pieces of Asiana, a brand that will cease to exist once that two-year period is over, according to The Korea Times.
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